Osteospermum plant named ‘Seikilrem’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Seikilrem’, characterized by its uniformly mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and bright yellow-colored ray florets and dark purple-tipped disc florets.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Seikilrem.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Seikilrem’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gunma-den, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Osteospermum cultivars with interesting floret colors.

The new Osteospermum was discovered as a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Seidacre, U.S. Plant patent application filed concurrently, Ser. No. 09/996,362.

The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor in April, 1993, as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the parent cultivar in a controlled environment in Gunma-den, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Gunma-den, Japan on Jun. 1, 1993. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Seikilrem has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Seikilrem’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Seikilrem’ as a new and distinct Osteospermum:

1. Compact, mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit.

3. Freely flowering habit.

4. Bright yellow-colored ray florets and dark purple-tipped disc florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the parent, the cultivar Seidacre, in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Osteospermum are similar in ray floret coloration to plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Zulu, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,389. However, plants of the new Osteospermum are more outwardly spreading and more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Zulu.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of three typical flowering plants of ‘Seikilrem’ grown in a 22-cm container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical developing inflorescence buds, upper and lower surfaces of typical fully opened inflorescences, and upper surfaces of typical leaves of ‘Seikilrem’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoor nursery during the late spring and early summer under full sun conditions with day temperatures ranging from 18 to 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 4 to 18° C. After planting rooted cuttings, plants were grown for about eight weeks in 22-cm containers with three plants per container and were pinched one time. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Seikilrem.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Seidacre, U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate rooting.—Summer: About 12 days at 25° C. Winter: About 20 days at 15° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 20 days at 25° C. Winter: About 27 days at 15° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant. Compact and mounded plant habit; initially upright and then outwardly spreading. Freely branching, about eleven lateral branches develop after pinching; dense and full plants. Moderately vigorous growth habit.

Plant height.—About 24 cm.

Plant width or area of spread.—All three plants, about 24 cm; individual plants, about 14 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 2.75 mm. Internode length: About 1.7 cm. Aspect: Upright to outward. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 143C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Number of leaves per lateral branch: About 14. Length: About 4.75 cm. Width: About 1.6 cm. Shape: Elliptic, strap-like. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire with occasional tiny serrations. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 143A. Young foliage, lower surface: 143B. Fully expanded foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 146A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 146B. Petiole: Length: About 1.25 cm. Diameter: About 3.75 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences held above and beyond the foliage on moderately stong peduncles. Composite inflorescence form, radially symmetrical, with ligulate-shaped ray florets and disc florets massed at the center; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences face upright or outward.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from the spring through the fall.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color and substance for about one week on the plant when grown in an outdoor environment.

Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering; at one time, about nine open inflorescences and inflorescence buds per lateral stem.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Inflorescence bud (at stage of showing color).—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, ray florets, lower or outer surface: 1A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.25 cm. Depth (height): About 1.75 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm.

Ray florets.—Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Slightly emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Velvety. Orientation: Initially upright then about 60° from vertical. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 17 in a single whorl. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: 12B to 12C. Fully opened, upper surface: At apex, 12A; mid-section 12B; towards base, a white, 155C, band; below white band, a band of purple, 90D to 90B; main color does not fade with subsequent development. Fully opened, lower surface: Ground color, 14B, overlain with faint longitudinal stripes, close to 198A.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About 7 mm. Width: At apex: About 1 mm. At base: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 56. Color: Immature: 2C. Mature: 2C; apex, 90C.

Phyllaries.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture: Coarse, pubescent. Number per inflorescence: About 18 in a single whorl. Color: Upper surface: 146A. Lower surface: 146B.

Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4.3 cm. Length, second peduncle: About 3.8 cm. Length, third peduncle: About 3.6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: Terminal peduncles, erect; secondary and tertiary peduncles, about 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamen number: Five per floret; fused around style. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: 90A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 23A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 77A. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color: 155D. Ovary color: 145A.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to Osteospermums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouse or outdoor conditions.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been observed to tolerate temperatures from 4 to 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Seikilrem’, as illustrated and described. 